Showcase



Aug. 12, 1.941. A. R. sTAFI--ORD I. v 2,252,238

\ SHOWCASE I Filed July 11, 1940 Patenteci Aug. 12, 1941 lOFFICE l SHOWCASE Assi a. Stafford, wilmingfbn, Calif.

Application July 11, 1940, Serial No. 345,005

(ci. 31a- 135) i i 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel showcase with a rotary shelf unit, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide an'improved showcase of this kind particularly adapted to be placed upon the floor between sections of a counter or a plurality of ordinary rectangular showcases so as to provide for an attractive display of goods while protecting them from accumulation of dust or ready handling or theft.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a showcase of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in construction,

economical to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted to meet with the requirements for a successful commercial use.

The present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a showcase constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a central vertical section thereof taken online 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present showcase includes a casing consisting of disklike top and bottom members 5 and 6 connected by laterally spaced frame members 1 and 8, and a circular glass body 9 interposed between the top and bottom members 5 and 6. The top and bottom members 5 and 6 are provided with thickened margins IIJ and lua provided with grooves II and IIa for reception of the ends of the glass body 9 so as to provide joints which may be effectively sealed by suitable packing material. The frame members 1 and 8 are disposed outside the body 9 in slightly spaced relation to the latter and are adapted to sustain the weight of the top member 5 and anything placed thereon so that such weight will not be imposed upon the glass body 9. The frame members 'I are in the nature of bars having inturned ends I2 received in recesses provided in the top and bottom surfaces of the members 5 and 6 and secured to the latter by means of screws I3 or the like. This permits assembly of the parts in a ready manner, and a similar fastening arrangement is provided for the frame member 8 which includes a rectangular intermediate portion constituting a door frame as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, and upwardly and downwardly projecting end portions I4 and Ida. intermediate the sides of this door frame portion. The end portions I4 and Ida, are also inturned as at I5 and received in recesses of the top and bottom members 5 and 6, as well as secured in place by screws Ili.4 Ihe body `9 has an opening corresponding to the door frame portion of the frame member 8, and such door frame portion is of angular form in section so as to provide a flange which projects inwardly as at I1 in Figure 2, to engage the wall of this opening in the body 9. A suitable hinged door I8 is pivoted to the door frame portion of frame member 8 as at I8 for horizontal swinging movement. In use, the showcase will be placed with the door I8 toward the inside or remote from the side at which the customer stands, and by opening the door the clerk may have ready access to the articles displayed wthin the showcase. At the same time, it will be diicult for the customer to handle or misappropriate the contents of the showcase.

As the showcase constituting this invention is particularly designed for use upon the floor between sections of a counter or between a plurality of ordinary rectangular showcases for the purpose of providing an attractive display within a store, the casing of this show case has a counter top I9 which is in the form of a disk of wood having a diameter slightly larger than that of the top member 5 of the casing and secured flatly upon the latter by means of the screws I3 and I6 which fasten the frame members 'l and 8 to the top member 5.

Arranged within the casing of the present showcase is a rotatable shelf unit consisting of a vertical shaft 20 having a plurality of vertically spaced shelves 2l secured thereon, the ends of the shaft 20 being rotatably received in a central depending bearing socket 22 of the top casing member 5 and a similar upstanding central bearing socket 23 provided on the bottom casing member 6. A ball bearing 24 may be interposed between the bottom lof the bearing socket 23 and the lower end of the shaft 20 to provide an eflicient thrust bearing which will prompt the ease of rotation of the shaft 2U and the shelf carried thereby. It will be apparent that upon opening the door I8, the shelf unit may be rotated to bring the desired article on any of the shelves 2| adjacent the door opening where it may be readily removed from the showcase. In a like manner, the shelf unit may be readily rotated to facilitate placing of articles thereon at any of various positions entirely about the shelves. While the casing of the showcase has been shown of frusto-conical form, with the shelves of the shelf unit gradually decreasing in diameter from bottom to top, it Will be apparent that the casing may be of cylindrical form if desired.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, advantages, and utility of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be seen that the device is simple and durable and may be conveniently and cheaply manufactured.

What I claim as new is:

1. A showcase of the character described having a casing including disk-like top and bottom members having thickened margins provided with grooves, a circular transparent body having its ends received in said grooves and provided at one side with an opening, frame members connecting the top and bottom members of the casing, one of said frame members having an intermediate door frame portion coincident with the opening in the body, and a door hinged in said doo-r frame portion. y

2. A showcase'of'-the `character described 'having a casing including disk-likeV top and bottom members having thickened margins provided with grooves, a circular transparent body having its ends received in said grooves and provided at one side with an opening, frame members connecting the top and bottom members of the casing, one of said frame members having an intermediate door frame portion coincident With the opening in the body, and a door hinged in said door frame portion, said frame members having inturned ends countersunk in and detachably secured to the top and bottom members of the casing.

3. A showcase of the character described having a casing including disk-like top and bottom members having thickened margins provided with grooves, a circular transparent body having its ends received in said grooves and provided at one side with an opening, frame members connecting the top and bottom members of the casing, one of said frame members having an intermediate door frame portion coincident with the opening in the body, a door hinged in said door frame portion, and a circular counter top member iiatly secured upon the top memberof the casing.

ACEL R. STAFFORD.l 

